The Aftermath
by Michelle285
Summary: After the wedding of Clarisse and Joseph...not the best summary but go with it. Better summary inside. Long one-shot. Read and review please.


_Disclaimer: I own nothing. I never have, never will._

 _A/N: I really don't know where this came from, but again, since it did appear in my mind, it has to be written. It begins at Mia's wedding, as soon as you see the first line, you'll know where, but does not follow the movie after that first line…aside from the whole Clarisse/Joseph thing, because I just can't not put them together. Also, I know Clarisse doesn't have the part of the security equipment that they speak into, but for my purposes we'll pretend she does…and knows how to use it! Enjoy!_

"Grandma, just because I didn't get my fairytale ending doesn't mean you shouldn't get yours," Mia said through the earpiece.

Clarisse immediately stilled as she thought of what Mia was implying. She whispered, "What?"

"Come on, Grandma," Mia groaned. "You know what I'm talking about when I say fairytale ending! Marriage!"

"And just who would you suggest…" Clarisse let her sentence trail off. She couldn't even say the word. She immediately realized that she probably shouldn't have asked Mia that question (or that half a question) as Mia was sure to speak her mind and say things Clarisse probably didn't want to hear.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Well…tradition dictates that the man you marry be at the front waiting for you. Sebastian Motaz is up here, but he is married and his wife might take exception to you marrying him, though I don't know if that matters since you're the queen.

"Lionel is up here too, but he's awfully young and you marrying him might be against the law, but that again may not matter since you're the queen and you _are_ the law. Still though, he's going back to school soon so that might not be the best idea, even though he just _adores_ you…"

"Mia!" Clarisse interrupted, tired of all this. "Do you have a point?"

Mia giggled, she just couldn't help it. "Don't I always? My point is that for once in your life you should screw tradition—"

"Amelia!" Clarisse exclaimed, shock at Mia's word "screw" though she knew she shouldn't be shocked at anything Mia said anymore.

"And marry the only man you ever really loved," Mia continued as though Clarisse hadn't even spoken. "Make Joe the happiest man on Earth, Grandma."

Mia saw Clarisse quickly turn to Charlotte, but couldn't hear what Clarisse said. It seemed Clarisse had dropped the mouthpiece when Mia said, "Joe."

Continuing her study of her grandmother, Mia saw her walk over toward Joseph and he turn to look at her. Mia mentally crossed her fingers. This could be it!

Seeing Joseph turn to Shades, Mia held her breath. Surely Joseph wouldn't be turning away, Mia just knew he loved her grandmother. Suddenly, Joseph held his hand up, Clarisse put hers on his and Charlotte was handing Clarisse Mia's wedding bouquet. Mia worked hard to hold in a scream. This _was_ it!

Chuckling when Clarisse addressed the crowd, "I know it's short notice, but you were all dressed," Mia whispered to herself, "Yes!"

-%

In what seemed like minutes later, Clarisse and Joseph were in a room off the sanctuary of the church, a married couple.

Joseph turned to Clarisse. "So, how do you feel Mrs. Romero?"

Clarisse let out a breath and shook her head slightly. "Amazed that you said yes. I don't deserve it, you know. After what I did…"

Putting a gentle finger to her lips, Joseph made all her protests die. "I love you so much." He then replaced his finger with his lips.

A voice from the door made them break apart. "Sorry!"

Turning toward the intruder, Clarisse rolled her eyes and Joseph had to chuckle at Mia, her right hand up covering her eyes.

Mia, hearing the chuckle, peeked between her fingers and when she determined it was safe, took her hand away. She couldn't help but smile though, seeing that Joseph still had one of his hands twined with Clarisse's.

"I assume you needed something," Clarisse prompted her granddaughter.

"Well, actually Charlotte did," Mia corrected. "She, however, elected me to come get the information."

"I'm sure you fought her on it," Clarisse mumbled sarcastically.

Mia, recognizing that statement for what it was, chose not to reply. "She needed to know if there was still going to be a reception. Naturally, there was one scheduled for Andrew and me. Since that didn't happen, one could assume the reception is off. Charlotte said, if you wanted it, a few small changes could be made and the reception would be for you and Joe. Well…I'm sure you don't _want_ it, but she needs to know if the changes need to made for you to attend."

"If we don't want it, why would we attend?" Joseph asked.

Mia bit her lip as Clarisse answered, "It's that d word, Joseph. The one that you hate."

"Now that you married Grandma, you technically have some too," Mia said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Ah," Joseph breathed. "Duties."

"I'm not saying you have to attend," Mia rushed to assure them. "I mean, Grandma, you've been totally rebellious, for lack of a better word, today and I'm sure everyone would understand if you didn't attend, but if you don't…there's not really a need for a reception, since you're the only couple that got married today."

Clarisse looked at Joseph and Mia watched as they had one of those conversations with her eyes. She was in the middle of hoping she got lucky enough to love someone who knew her so well when her grandmother turned back to her. "Tell Charlotte to make the changes."

Mia smiled. "Great. Listen, you'll get announced, we'll eat, you dance three—maybe four—dances, then Joe, you come find me, we'll dance and you guys will be out of there. I promise. Now, I'll be back in five minutes when the carriage gets here so…don't get too wild."

Again, Joseph had to laugh as Clarisse looked scandalized. "Sometimes I wonder about that girl."

Joseph shook his head. "She'll be a great queen. Had you not been brought up the way you were, I could see you shocking some people with your language."

"Joseph," Clarisse gasped, though there was a twinkle in her blue eyes. "I would never!"

-%

After finishing dinner, Mia was watching her grandmother and Joseph dance the first dance, as tradition dictated. She couldn't help but smile. She had always loved watching them dance together, since that was when they seemed happiest, and nothing was different tonight.

"They're amazing," Mia said as Charlotte came to stand beside her.

"They've always been amazing," Charlotte pointed out.

"True." Mia turned to Charlotte. "So, since this isn't a state function, do I have to dance with every member of Parliament?"

"You don't have to dance with _any_ member of Parliament," Charlotte pointed out confused. "That's a queen's duty."

Mia couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Yes, because I'm sure the queen is going to dance with them later."

Charlotte blushed. "You're right. Still though, I don't think you're required to dance with any of them."

"Well, I'll have to in a week," Mia said logically. "I figured I could start acting like a queen tonight."

Charlotte smiled at the young girl. "I'm pretty sure it's only at state functions that you have to dance with all of them, but I'm not positive on that. However, they _did_ approve the abolishing of the marriage law…it would probably look very queenly if you danced with all of them, even if it is just to thank them."

Mia sighed at the truth of Charlotte's statement. "You're probably right. When I become queen, you're not going to leave, are you? Quite frankly, I don't know how Grandma functioned without you and I know I won't be able to. I need you!"

Charlotte blushed all over again. "Certainly I'll help you, Princess. Until you decide you need someone else."

Mia shook her head. "No way. Never. Now, in what order do I need to dance with these Parliamentarians?"

Charlotte chuckled. "Well, the Prime Minister is first…"

-%

"Well, Your Highness, to what do I owe the honor of a dance with you?" Sebastian Motaz asked.

"You're the prime minister," Mia told him. "Therefore, in my queenly duties—that I'm acting on a bit prematurely—you're the first Parliamentarian that I dance with."

Sebastian smirked. "So I'm a duty to you?"

"No, no!" Mia rushed to explain. She obviously needed more queen lessons before becoming queen. One on tact would be beneficial. "Of course I would want to dance with you regardless! I just…"

"I understand, Your Highness. I was just joking," Sebastian broke in. "I guess I shouldn't do that to the next queen. I could lose my position as prime minister."

"After today, you can do pretty much anything you want to me," Mia told him. "Without you, I don't think I would be the next queen. The von Trokens would've…well, you saw him stand up. He wouldn't have sat down if you hadn't been so firm in telling him to do so. You also helped me remember that I had to make a motion, though it took me a few minutes to realize what you were telling me."

Sebastian smiled at the young girl. "Genovia has prospered under your grandmother's rule. Not that I didn't like King Rupert—may he rest in peace—but, even though she's not royal by blood, Queen Clarisse was made to rule a country. With her teaching you, there's no way you can go wrong."

"Obviously, she hasn't taught me quite enough just yet," Mia said, referring to her earlier tactlessness. "I'm thankful, and I know Grandma is thankful, for the support you have for the Renaldi rule. I will never be able to express how much I appreciate it, and you, especially after today."

"I hope you always feel that way, Your Highness," Sebastian said, slightly bowing, as the song they were dancing to was coming to a close.

Mia giggled. "I'm sure you'll hear about it if I don't."

Sebastian chuckled as Mia walked over to Lord Palimore, but quickly changed course and went to a different member of Parliament, since Lord Palimore had held his hand out to his wife. "She definitely takes after her grandmother. Ever since meeting her in San Francisco I've thought she'd be a great queen."

-%

Joseph quickly scanned the floor for Mia. He had always loved dancing with Clarisse and he was confident he would love it for the rest of his life, but she was his wife now, and there were other things he would like to do!

They had been friends for a long time, even when King Rupert was still alive. He had only been in palace security for a few years when King Rupert made him Clarisse's personal bodyguard. From that moment on, they had been friends.

If anyone had asked Joseph to pinpoint the moment he had fallen in love with Clarisse, he wouldn't have been able to do it. In fact, loving Clarisse was almost as natural to him as breathing. He knew it didn't come that naturally to her. He knew she loved him, but he also knew she hadn't for as long as he had loved her. After all, she was married when he met her (and probably when he had started loving her) and even though she hadn't loved her husband like she should, she wasn't one to be unfaithful, even if it was even emotionally. Joseph also knew that soon after Rupert died she lost her son, her youngest, and she was too caught up in grief for Joseph to be even more than a friend at that time.

It must've been after San Francisco that Clarisse really began to see him as more than just a friend, Joseph decided. She had danced with him and listened to him when he told her she'd been wearing black too long. He also felt that the dance, the Wango as Mia had termed it, and that moment was different than any other dance they shared. He could feel it and knew Clarisse could too, even if she denied it.

Joseph loved the time when they were in San Francisco, because it was the catalyst for everything that had happened since then. He hoped they would still be standing here married if they hadn't gone to San Francisco, but he had a feeling they wouldn't be. After all, if they hadn't gone to California, they wouldn't have found Mia and if Mia wasn't going to be queen in a few short days…he didn't want to go down that line of thinking right now.

Happier thoughts took him back to their last night in San Francisco. That was the first night they had kissed. Joseph had escorted her back to suite, after escaping the ball, she had cupped his cheek like she had so often before and thanked him for finding Mia and bringing her here. Joseph would never know what made him do it, but he took her lips in a gentle kiss. He had pulled back quickly not knowing how she would react, but then it was Clarisse who was pulling him back for a second and deeper kiss. He had been getting lost in it when she pulled back, seeming to remember they were in the hallway. She gave him a heartstopping smile, thanked him again and went inside her room and shut the door.

When they got back to Genovia, Joseph wasn't sure how to react. It had been a week since they had been back and Clarisse had asked him to come to her room for a security briefing. He wasn't sure what they had to discuss, but he soon realized it wasn't security. In fact, discussion was a very loose word for what they were actually doing. They had agreed to have those "briefings" twice a week and most of the time security was low on their priority list.

In the years since, he and Clarisse had continued in their relationship, though it was in secret. Joseph was quite sure Charlotte and Shades had suspected though, bless them, they had said nothing. He was also sure that if they had, Clarisse would've stopped it once and for all.

Though they had been, for lack of a better term, making out like teenagers for some time now, one thing they had not done was make love. Clarisse was very firm in her belief that this was something that was sacred and only should be done by a married couple. Joseph couldn't say he understood. He knew she loved him and she _had_ already been married once and had two children, so it wasn't like she was a virgin. However, he would never push her to do something she didn't want to do and he knew this was one of those things. Also, he had a selfish reason of his own. It gave him hope that they would be married someday.

This was, in turn, the reason he was scanning the ballroom for Mia. Now that they were married, they had things to do! He suddenly saw her, dancing with a nameless, faceless (to him, at least) member of Parliament. He smiled.

"Look at your granddaughter," Joseph whispered close to Clarisse's ear.

"Hmm?" Clarisse questioned, having not really heard him. She was more focused on dancing with him.

"Mia," Joseph repeated. He skillfully turned them in the dance so she could see her.

Clarisse lifted her head from its position resting discreetly on Joseph's chest and asked, "What is she doing?"

"Dancing with someone in Parliament," Joseph said. "I saw her dancing with Sebastian earlier. My guess is she's trying to be you."

Clarisse's face softened into a smile. "She really will be a great queen."

Joseph kissed Clarisse's nose. "She already is one. Besides, she has a great role model."

He then looked at her critically. "I'm not really a fan of this outfit though. I think it would look much better on the floor."

"Joseph!" Clarisse hissed, her face blushing scarlet. "You can't say things like that!"

Joseph tried to hide his chuckle, having known that would get a good reaction out of her. "As of this afternoon, I'm your husband. Which means, I can."

"Not if you wife tells you not to," Clarisse contradicted. "And definitely not in public!"

This time Joseph did laugh. He loved hearing her call herself his wife! "Well, then I'd better go dance with Mia so we can get out of here and I _can_ say things like that."

-%

Mia saw Joseph coming toward her and quickly put her hand on his arm when he reached her.

"Thank goodness," Mia breathed. "I am so sorry!"

"Sorry for…" Joseph asked.

"For you, having to teach me how to dance," Mia elaborated. "I hate dancing with people who can't!"

Joseph laughed. He hadn't _hated_ dancing with her, but he definitely enjoyed it more when she got better at it. Then again, Clarisse had asked him to teach her and he would do anything for that woman. "I would say that's your payback, but the Parliamentarians that can't dance outnumber the ones who can."

Mia dropped her forehead to Joseph's shoulder. "No."

"Just wait until you dance with the foreign dignitaries," Joseph said. "I've heard some of them can get rather handsy."

"Are you serious?" Mia asked, rhetorically. "The first law I'm going to pass is that all Parliamentarians must take dance lessons! And no one will be allowed to grope the queen!"

Joseph laughed out loud. "I'm sure that will go over well. Clarisse might faint."

Mia smiled at the thought of her saying those things in Parliament. She was sure her grandmother would never use the word "grope" much less approve of Mia using it. "Okay, maybe not. I guess I'll just have to handle it with dignity like Grandma always did. Putting my queen lessons to good use here."

"Princess, I have to thank you for this afternoon," Joseph said.

Mia shrugged. "Grandma loved you. She always has. She just needed a push."

"I think you gave her a little more than a push," Joseph pointed out.

"All I said was…" Mia let her sentence trail off. "I used Lionel's equipment. Lionel is security. You heard everything. Oops! Sorry about that marrying Sebastian and Lionel stuff. I was just trying to make a point."

Joseph chuckled. "I wasn't too worried about Sebastian, he's too in love with Shelia to think about any other woman. What really worried me was that you were talking about Clarisse marrying Lionel with the boy right there."

Mia shook her head. "Oh please. The minute I mentioned your name Lionel gasped. That poor boy is scared to death of you."

"I don't know why," Joseph said nonchalantly.

"Shades said you told Lionel you would hurt him if he ever talked to Grandma like that…whatever _that_ was, again," Mia said.

"Shades needs to keep his mouth shut," Joseph grumbled. "He invaded her personal space and told her he would gladly take a bullet for her."

Mia nodded. "Well, no wonder. That's your job. You couldn't let some young hotshot come in and upstage you!"

Joseph rolled his eyes. "I don't think I told him I'd hurt him though. I just told him I was your grandmother's primary and I was the one who kept her safe. If for some reason I couldn't…it still wouldn't be left up to an intern, especially not him!"

"Joseph!" Mia exclaimed. "I know he can be an eager intern which can sometimes translate to…"

"Annoying," Joseph supplied.

"Okay, annoying," Mia agreed. "But he is still Sebastian's nephew. Sebastian is incredibly supportive of the Renaldi rule and we can't do anything to jeopardize that, which means we are nice to him and all his relatives, including Lionel!"

Joseph blinked a few times. He just noticed that she had called him by his name, rather than Joe. Her tone was also very…regal in that moment. "You just sounded exactly like Clarisse."

Mia's face lit up in a smile. "I don't know if you meant that as a compliment, but I'll take it!"

Joseph thought about it for a second. "I guess it kind of was one."

Mia changed the subject. "So this afternoon, I told Grandma to make you the happiest man on Earth. Are you?"

Joseph sighed. This girl would never get tired of asking personal questions. Still though, this wasn't something he wanted to hide. "Princess…happy doesn't even begin to cover what I'm feeling right now."

Mia hugged Joseph. "I'm so glad."

Joseph returned the hug. "Me too."

-%

While Joseph was dancing with Mia, Clarisse decided to dance with Sebastian. She knew better than to stand on the sidelines watching them dance; someone was sure to try to dance with her then and she was sure it would be someone she'd rather not dance with!

"Congratulations, Your Majesty," Sebastian said as she walked up to him.

Clarisse smiled at him. "Thank you."

"May I have this dance?" Sebastian asked, holding out his hand.

"I was hoping you'd ask," Clarisse told him truthfully as she took his offered hand.

"I would never pass up a chance to dance with you," Sebastian said, with a wink.

"Thank you for all you did for Mia this afternoon," Clarisse said. "I can't begin to express my thankfulness for the continued support you have had of the Renaldi rule."

"It was nothing, Your Majesty," Sebastian assured her. "Genovia has prospered under you and I have no doubt it will only continue to do so under Princess Mia. After all, you're teaching her!"

Clarisse didn't smile, but couldn't help but let a small twinkle appear in her blue orbs. "Flatterer."

Sebastian winked, but then turned somber. "I'm going to ask you a serious somewhat personal question. I'm hoping you remember your thankfulness after I ask this question so you won't feel the need to kick me out of my position."

Clarisse raised her eyebrows. She wasn't used to personal questions from anyone other than her granddaughter. "You will not lose your standing as Prime Minister. However, I may not answer."

"Fair enough," Sebastian agreed. "Why did you wait so long to marry Joseph? You could've done so before now."

"I couldn't," Clarisse contradicted Sebastian quietly. "In the hierarchy that is Genovia, he's a…" Clarisse trailed off. She wasn't going to call him a commoner or a servant. He was neither, at least not to her.

"He's not a commoner," Sebastian reminded her. "King Rupert—may he rest in peace—knighted him."

"People have forgotten, if they knew about it at all," Clarisse told Sebastian. "I'm surprised you remember. Besides, people like Viscount Mabrey and his cronies would've gone to lengths to prove Rupert didn't actually knight Joseph. They would've said Rupert only talked about it. There was a small blurb in the paper about it years ago, but there wasn't even a picture. No one would believe it."

"Why didn't he do it publically?" Sebastian wondered. "It seems to me the king was big on grand gestures like that."

"Oh, he was," Clarisse assured him. "Joseph, however, wasn't."

 _"Just as soon as you are able to walk around, you're going to be knighted," Rupert promised Joseph. "Maybe in a week or two, on the balcony, in front of all of Genovia."_

 _"Your Majesty, I don't—" Joseph began._

 _"Nonsense," Rupert interrupted. "Your actions were that of a hero. You deserve compensation."_

 _"I was just—" Joseph tried again._

 _"You don't argue with your king," Rupert reminded Joseph. "See you later."_

 _Clarisse watched her husband walk out. After he had gone, she turned to Joseph with a small smile. She gently sat down on his bed. "What was it you were trying to say?"_

 _Joseph scooted over slightly so he wouldn't be touching her (not because he didn't want to but because it would've been completely inappropriate!) and matched her smile but asked her a question instead of answering hers. "Do you know why I decided to be in security?"_

 _Clarisse noticed he didn't answer her question, but she decided to let it go. She shook her head in response._

 _"Security guards aren't noticed," Joseph told her. "Security guards shouldn't be noticed. They fade into the background hoping no one sees them. Then, if—God forbid—they are needed, they jump into action. After they are sure a situation is under control and no one is hurt, especially the one they are protecting, they fade back into the woodwork and try to figure out who threatened the ones they guard…and make sure it never happens again."_

 _"You don't want to be noticed," Clarisse surmised. "You were trying to tell Rupert you don't want to be knighted."_

 _"I don't deserve to be knighted," Joseph corrected. "I was just doing my job."_

 _"You do deserve it!" Clarisse exclaimed. She was going to jump in with that before, but knew he wasn't finished speaking and wasn't going to interrupt him like her husband had done. "You may have been doing your job, but to the people of Genovia, you are a hero. In my eyes, you're a hero. You saved me. If not for you…I would probably be dead."_

 _Joseph tried to ignore the nauseas feeling that rose up in him and the squeeze in his heart at the thought of her dead. "I was just doing my job." That was the only thing he could say. He knew there was much more to it, but her being his queen and married to the king, it was the only thing appropriate._

 _Clarisse looked into his eyes. She whispered, "I really want Rupert to knight you."_

 _Joseph looked into her eyes and, right away, knew that was a mistake. He was going to agree now. He could never deny her much and especially not when she was looking at him like that. He took her hand and gently kissed the back of it. He hoped she saw that as the equivalent to bowing since really couldn't bow at the moment and didn't read any affection into it…even though he felt more affection than respect. "Okay."_

 _Clarisse knew she should remove her hand from his grasp, but didn't. "I'll talk to him though. We won't do it in front of all of Genovia. I'll get him to do it in private."_

 _"You don't argue with your king," Joseph teased._

 _Clarisse stood and drew herself up to her full height. "I'm the queen." She then winked at him. "I'm allowed to argue with him."_

"And argue we did," Clarisse told Sebastian, shaking herself free from the memories. "Finally I reminded Rupert that Joseph was _my_ bodyguard; _I_ was the one he saved. Rupert couldn't fight that one, so we did it in private.

"Rupert however, took private to a whole new level. I don't think Joseph would've minded if the boys had come, a newspaper reporter and photographer and some respectful Parliament members. But it was only Rupert, Joseph and myself. If I hadn't been the one Joseph saved, I doubt Rupert would've let me come," Clarisse said.

Sebastian was shaking his head. "That wasn't right."

"Rupert thought he was giving Joseph what he asked for," Clarisse said. "A private knighting ceremony."

"You've made excuses for him for too long, Your Majesty," Sebastian said. He wouldn't say these things to anyone other than Clarisse. He felt like they had known each other long enough for him to be frank. "You know you don't believe that."

"It doesn't matter what I believe," Clarisse decisively said. "I couldn't marry Joseph before now."

"He was a knight," Sebastian repeated. "If anyone said anything all you would've had to say was that he was a knight."

"I love him, but it's okay because he has a title?" Clarisse asked sarcastically. She looked over at Joseph and felt a small smile come to her face. She loved him so much. "I wasn't going to…qualify my love."

Sebastian couldn't argue with that. She had a good point.

Clarisse then smiled. "That also doesn't matter anymore, because as of today, Joseph is my husband and Viscount Mabrey can't say anything about it. In fact, he is going to lose his title very soon. I wonder if the fact that I'm slightly excited that Mia won't have to deal with him makes me a bad person?"

Sebastian gave out with his boisterous laugh. "I wouldn't wish that man on my worst enemy."

Clarisse smiled. "I know I've already said it, but thank you so much for everything you did this afternoon. I've been blessed to have you as Prime Minister and Mia will be as well."

Sebastian bowed as the song ended. "That means a lot to me, Your Majesty."

"Genovia wouldn't be the same without you," Clarisse said. She kissed the man's cheek.

Sebastian blushed. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

-%

As the song came to a close, Mia smiled as Joseph bowed to her. "Let's go get Grandma and get you two out of here."

"Finally," Joseph breathed. He was teasing Mia, but only slightly. He wasn't one for big gatherings or being in the spotlight and all of sudden, he was in the middle of both.

Walking up to Clarisse and Sebastian, Mia saw her grandmother kiss Sebastian. She knew it was nothing but still, she couldn't help but take the opportunity. She gasped. "You haven't even been married for a day and already she's kissing someone else. Joe, I think your wife is a flirt."

"Amelia!" Clarisse exclaimed. "Good heavens!"

Mia put a hand over her mouth to smother her giggles while Joseph and Sebastian laughed freely. Finally Clarisse gave into a small chuckle and muttered, "Why do I even bother?"

Hearing that, Mia smiled. She twined her right arm with her grandmother's, as her left one was already twined with Joseph's. "If you'll excuse us, Prime Minister. We need to…well, they need to go."

Sebastian bowed one last time. "Goodnight Your Majesty, Your Highness, Joseph."

-%

In the hallway, Clarisse sighed and took her arm out of the grasp of her granddaughter's. "Really, Mia, I think we can find the way to our suite by ourselves. We don't need an escort."

"I don't need you forgetting where you are before you reach your suite," Mia teased.

"Oh, good heavens," Clarisse mumbled trying to will the redness in her face to diminish.

Mia couldn't help it, she had to giggle. She knew it was mean having a laugh at her grandmother's expense, but there had been so many good chances today! "Sorry, Grandma."

"You do have a ballroom full of guests, you know," Clarisse reminded Mia, in one last attempt to get her to leave. "It isn't very nice to leave them alone."

"Well, technically they're your guests, since it's your reception," Mia pointed out. "Regardless, they're a resourceful group. I'm sure they'll think of something to entertain themselves. If they happen to get too…entertained before I get back, Charlotte and Sebastian can always reel them in."

"Give it up," Joseph advised Clarisse from Mia's other side. "You know when she sets her mind to something she plans to see it through."

"Listen to the man, Grandma," Mia said. "Besides, I want to walk with my new grandpa and my...not-so-new grandma tonight. I would like to say I won't see you for a full week, but I know there's a coronation to plan and that would be foolish. However, I do not, I repeat, _do not_ want to see you tomorrow. At all!"

"But…" Clarisse tried to argue.

"No!" Mia cut in. "Charlotte and I will not destroy the country in your absence. We'll call you if there's a national emergency…maybe." Mia turned to Joseph. "Please don't let her think about work tomorrow, Joe."

Joseph laughed. "Princess, if she can think about working, then I'm doing something terribly wrong."

Mia's laugh rang out in the hallway while Clarisse groaned. She was glad they were nearing her suite, she couldn't take much more of this. She opened the door to the suite.

Mia kissed her grandma's cheek and then Joe's. "I'll leave you two now. Have fun!"

Joseph pulled Clarisse to him as soon as the door shut. He sighed. "Finally alone."

Clarisse had to smile. She rested her head against his chest, closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. She tried not to let her smile grow. She was sure it was beating a bit faster than normal.

Joseph pressed a kiss to her hair, inhaled its scent and then rested his chin on her head. He looked at her coffee table and something caught his eye. "Champagne."

"Hmm?" Clarisse asked. She had felt the rumble in his chest and heard the sound of his voice wash over her, but hadn't been listening to the words.

"Champagne," Joseph repeated, "On the coffee table."

"Probably from Charlotte," Clarisse decided, not pulling away. "She's thoughtful like that."

Joseph nodded. "So, shall we drink the champagne or take your granddaughter's advice?" He gave her a gentle kiss. Thought the kiss was gentle, it lacked nothing in passion.

Clarisse shivered, certain she felt the intensity all the way down to her littlest toe. She knew he was holding back and after being surrounded by people all day and restraining herself all day…she was tired of it! She kissed him back, injecting the same amount of passion into her kiss, though hers lacked some of the gentleness he displayed.

A smile bloomed on Joseph's face. He never knew it was possible to love someone as much as he loved her. "Mia's advice it is, then." Before he gave himself over completely to the sensations and lost himself in her he whispered, "Let's have some fun!"

 _Well, what did you think? I realize there aren't as many romantic moments in here as there could've been, but honestly, as much as I love Clarisse and Joe, I'm just not sure I write them romantic very well. After all, we don't see very much of it in the movies and it's hard. Also I guess I could've continued… Then again, you can use your own imagination to decide where they go from here. I can't do it all for you! Sorry about that! Regardless, you want to leave me review and let me know what you thought? Please? And thanks for reading!_


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